That's Just The Way We Are
by PoppyPotter
Summary: There's love. There's hate. There's fights and pranks and non-stop teasing. There's support and care and golden pieces of advice. There's jealousy and betrayal and loneliness. There's comfort and happiness and intense good- natured competition. There's brothers and sisters and cousins. An exploration of the seventy-eight different family relationships in the Next Gen era.
1. First Kiss

**Teddy and Victoire**

**Prompt; First Kiss**

When Teddy returned from his date, past midnight, smiling dreamily and walking with a skip in his step, Victoire was curled up on the couch by the fire waiting for him. She watched him, eyes narrowed, until he was in front of her.

He had _said_ he didn't want to go on the date. He had _said_ that he didn't even really like Francesca Williams (she wasn't "funny enough"). He had _said _he had only agreed to it because he had been too shocked to register what she had asked ("bloody girl cornered me!") but now, _now_ Teddy seemed to be walking on cloud nine.

Victoire sat up and Teddy looked up, finally noticing her; "Oh, hi Vic. didn't see you there". He stood opposite her- a stupid grin on his face.

"So how did the date from hell go?" Victoire asked, hoping her voice didn't sound too high.

"Hell? More like _heaven_" Teddy sighed and fell back on to the couch. His floppy hair (in his natural sandy brown today) fell into his eyes. Victoire raised an eyebrow at the sight but said nothing.

They were silent for a few minutes before Teddy turned to her; "I kissed her" he said; "I kissed Francesca Williams" In truth, Francesca Williams had practically leapt on _him_ but Teddy didn't feel the need to tell Victoire _that._

Victoires' stomach was doing something very funny. It felt simultaneously as though she had been punched, had two or more slithering snakes in there and was about to throw up.

"Oh" she said, "oh, but I thought you didn't….you don't like her like that… _do you?_ She's bossy, you said. And her hair is a mess of frizz. And she disagrees with Quidditch. Who disagrees with Quidditch?" Victoire trailed off, staring at the boy in front of her. "She's not even funny" she finally mumbled.

It was true, thought Teddy, Francesca was bossy and her hair was beyond frizzy and yes, she had some really, _really _strange ideas about sport but…she had kissed him. She had looked him in the eye, grabbed his shirt, and kissed him. At first, Teddy had felt the embarrassing urge to just run as far away as possible from the situation but then he had realised he was kissing a girl. And it was nice, if a bit wet. And it was with Francesca Williams who really wasn't all that bad looking. In fact, she was pretty. And curvy. And admired by a lot of the Hogwarts male student population. And now she was his, Teddy's, girlfriend. Sort of.

Victoire watched Teddy lazily run a hand through his hair and realised that really, she shouldn't be too surprised. He was two years older than her. Of course, he would go out on dates. Of course, he would have his fist kiss. And so _of course_, it was only natural for her to feel strange about the fact that her best friend was growing up faster than her. It wasn't as if she was jealous. Because she wasn't. She didn't like Teddy that way. She just didn't want to see him get hurt. Yes, that was it. And she didn't want Francesca Williams to have been his first kiss. She wouldn't have minded, she decided, if it was someone else….someone like…well, just someone _worthy_ of Teddy. So yes, that explained the funny feeling in her tummy; she just didn't like the idea that it had been Francesca Williams who had stolen Teddy's first kiss.

That was it.

Teddy sat up again, curiously watching his best friend; "Hey…this doesn't change anything y'know?"

Victoire merely stared at him biting her lip and Teddy couldn't help but smile at the sight; "Aw, c'mon Vic, we're still going to be best mates. I'm not going to _abandon_ you." he watched her closely; "seriously Vic, you'll always be my number one girl."

It was cheesy and stupid and such a _Teddy_ thing to say to her that Victoire couldn't help but shake her head and smile; "You're a loser, you know that Teddy Lupin?"

* * *

**Hello! This is written for Morning Lillies "Connect the Weasleys" challenge. There are seventy-eight, yes, **_**seventy-eight **_**Next Gen family relationships that I will be exploring. It will probably take a very, very long time to get through all of them but I'm looking forward to the challenge and seeing what other people do with the same prompts. If you like family fics, why not sign up? I'm only on my first chapter and already enjoying myself :)**

**Reviews would be very, very nice :D**


	2. Rules

**Characters: Teddy and Dominique**

**Prompt: Rules**

Teddy walked into the kitchen yawning and stretched. He made his way over to the fridge and peered inside for a suitable "three-in-the-morning" snack. Finally settling for the left over absolutely-truly-delicious-chocolate mousse that Vic had made the previous day, he pulled the bowl out, grabbed a spoon and made his way to the kitchen table.

"I saw you, you know."

Swearing Teddy reached down to grab hold of the spoon he had dropped in surprise.

"Merlin, Dom! Way to give me a heart attack!"

Dominique didn't say anything and Teddy rolled his eyes. Puberty, in Teddy's opinion, had made Dominique Weasley, certifiably crazy. Gone was the girl who was always smiling and good-naturedly teasing him. In her place was a girl who could either treat him as her favourite person in the world or as the devil himself (it all depended on her mood). Tonight she seemed to be in one of her stranger moods. Shaking his head, Teddy sat down at the table and got ready to enjoy his chocolate mousse.

"I saw you kiss Vic."

Teddy chocked on air.

"Behind the chippy. Yesterday. Mum told me to go call you guys in and I saw you." She stood staring at him.

"Uh…you…we…I…it…_why didn't you say anything?"_

Dominique shrugged and sat down opposite him; "I'm saying something _now,_ aren't I?"

Teddy opened his mouth. Closed it. And then proceeded to stare at Dominique. She really did look quite intimidating, he thought. She had dyed her hair black two weeks ago (much to her mother's chagrin) and it seemed to make her already pale skin, an icy white. Her blue eyes (the same as her sisters) were watching him carefully. She looked, he concluded, as though she would fit right in in one of those muggle horror movies he watched with Harry.

As soon as he had thought this, Teddy realised just how grateful he was that Dominique Weasley was not an occlumens.

"We haven't told anyone yet." he finally said.

Dominique rolled her eyes; "Yeah I think I got _that._ Merlin, do you always make pointless statements?"

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

Dominique narrowed her eyes; "nothing. I rather prefer it when you're silent"

Teddy repressed a sigh. They were silent for a few moments; Dominique seemed to be rather deep in thought.

"You're not going to go and say you're in love with me are you?"

"What?! No! _Ew!" _She shuddered dramatically and Teddy raised an eyebrow. "That would be gross. You're practically by _brother_"

Teddy looked down, biting his lip; "Do you think it's weird then? Me and Vic? We kind of grew up together right…so maybe…but…it's just…I…with her…" he rubbed his head; "when I talk to you I see a little sister" Dominique scowled at "little"; "but…_with Vic, with Vic it's_…"

Dominique waved an impatient hand; "you and Vic were always meant to be. Don't go creating problems that aren't there Teddy" she looked at him sternly; "Seriously, no one will think it's weird. You're not _actually_ related and c'mon nearly the whole family has already made bets about the two of you."

Teddy looked at her curiously; "did you?"

Dominique glared; "of course not. I have more class than that" (In truth, the only thing stopping her from taking part was the pinky-promise she had made with Victoire when she was seven; "we'll never ever, _ever_ make bets about each other")

Teddy fought the urge to snicker; "of course you do, Dom"

"Exactly_._ Now what I really wanted to talk to you about was the rules."

"_Rules?"_

Dominique nodded seriously; "if you want to date my sister you'll need to follow them to the letter."

"Is that right?" Teddy asked chuckling.

Dominique glared; "I swear to Merlin Teddy, if you don't just _shut up_ and listen I will make sure you never get within five feet of my sister."

Teddy sobered; "Right. Silent. From now."

Dominique cleared her throat; "Right, so number one. Do not ever, and I mean _ever_, stick your tongue down my sisters' throat in front of me again. I don't want to be scarred for life. _Got it?"_

Teddy nodded obediently, hiding a smile.

"Good. Now, number two. When the rest of this mad family finds out about you two I have bragging rights on the fact that no matter what _they_ think, _I _was the one to find out first. You have an obligation to back me up in any of these arguments."

This time it was harder to keep in the laughter but Teddy, once again, dutifully nodded.

Dominique folded her hands on the table in front of her; "Number three, I don't care if you and Vic have been dating for a year or five years or are married or have kids, as long as we are both alive _I _will be the one to celebrate Vic's half birthday with her. It's tradition."

Once again Teddy nodded.

"OK, so number four. Don't take advantage of my sister._"_

"I wouldn't…"

But Dom glared so Teddy fell silent; "My sister, for some inexplicable reason, would do anything for you. Learn mandarin. Or move to Timbuktu. Or whatever. You are not allowed to ever take advantage of this, _understood?"_

Teddy smiled; "if I ever do, you have permission to hex me to Timbuktu"

"I don't _need _your permission"

Teddy grinned.

"Right. Ok. Last one now." Dom looked up at Teddy and for a second he saw a flash of the old Dominique; "Don't break her heart" her voice was soft but firm; "she loves you, so _don't you dare_ go break her heart."

Teddy swallowed; "I promise. I don't ever intend of letting her go… and I'll try…I'll try to never, ever hurt her but I'm a daft prick sometimes, y'know? So you're going to have to be there to kick me in place and make me see sense if those days ever come."

Dom grinned; "it would be my pleasure."

Teddy shook his head, a smile on his face; "so is that it?"

Dom nodded; "yep. Now pass me that chocolate mousse. _My sister_ made it for _me._"

"Don't be daft. She obviously made it for _me._" Teddy pulled the bowl closer to himself.

Dom narrowed her eyes; "she's _my siste_r"

"She's _my girlfriend_"

"Well,_ sisters_ come first."

"She loves _me _more."

"_Dream on_ Lupin."

"Jealous?"

"As if."

* * *

**Hello again! I found it a bit harder to write than the first one but I really love Dominique's and Teddy's friendship. In my mind, they have a kind of love-hate relationship; he teases her like a younger sister but also always looks out for her and she does everything to wind him up. I see her as maybe, sometimes feeling as though he's still stealing her sister but still knowing that he's probably the best guy out there for Victoire. I also see her as being very protective of her sister (even though she's the younger one) despite the fact their relationship can be strained at times. Oh and this set just before the epilogue and Dominque is fifteen.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this! Reviews would be very much appreciated :D**


	3. Confusion

**Characters: Teddy and Louis**

**Prompt: Confusion**

Teddy Lupin was sitting on the door step of his girlfriends' house, her brother beside him. They had been sitting in silence for what felt like, to Teddy, hours and his patience was beginning to die out. He looked to the slowly setting sun and then back to the boy beside him. He bit his tongue to stop the flow of encouraging words. If there was something he had learnt about Louis Weasley it was that the boy would speak when he was ready. Push him too soon and he would descend into a spectacular mood. Teddy tapped his fingers on his knees. The sky was now more purple than orange. It would be dark soon. He opened his mouth, looked at Louis and at the letter clutched tightly in the boys' hand, sighed and then shut his mouth again.

"It's from Strasburg" Louis finally said; "from the…" he cleared his throat; "from the University."

Understanding began to dawn on Teddy and he slowly nodded his head; "do you want to go there?"

"It's the greatest magical Art course in the world."

"So you _do _want to go?"

"I'm going to be curse breaker. Like dad. I took all the right subjects. And I'm going to get the grades. I know it. And then I'll be off…off to Egypt. And it'll be great." He put his head on his knees; "Dad will be happy."

Teddy watched Louis closely; "What about you?"

Louis looked up frowning; "What about me?"

"Will you be happy? In Egypt? Is that _really_ what you want to do?"

Louis sighed; "Yes…no…_I don't know._ I don't know what I want to do. It's pathetic_. _I'm seventeen years old and I have _no effing clue_ what I want to do." He shook his head; "I don't mind being a curse breaker. It's cool, right?" he looked at Teddy; "And it's what Dad wants. Have you heard him talk to Uncle Ron and Uncle Charlie? He's so…proud. For the first bloody time in my life Dad is actually proud of me;not Vic, or Dom, or you, _me!_ And what do I go and do? Apply to bloody Art School. And then when I hear from _them_, I'm too much of a coward to even open the damn envelope." Louis finished out of breath and red-faced, leaving Teddy staring at him in shock; Louis Weasley was never the most vocal about his emotions; most of the time he seemed to be living in a world of his own, going about his own business without paying much attention to anyone else.

"Your dad's not proud of you because you're following in his footsteps Louis." Teddy said slowly; "He's proud of you because you've turned out to be a bloody great bloke. You're smart, you're kind, you're an _amazing _artist." He paused and looked at Louis; "He's always been proud of you, you know"

Louis shook his head; "He's been confused, not proud" he snorted derisively; "Dad could never understand me. We're too different. I'm too quiet- I could stay locked in my room for hours. Dad needs to always be doing something….I'm not…I don't…I don't even play Quidditch"

Teddy laughed; "Louis those things are small. You think your dad isn't proud because of all that?" Teddy shook his head; "he might not always understand you Louis but believe me, he is damn proud of you. Always has been- no matter what _you_ think." Louis stayed silent and Teddy sighed; "Have you ever been to your dads' office?"

Louis shrugged; "Yeah, a couple of times."

"Ever noticed what's on the walls?"

Louis stayed silent and Teddy smiled slightly; "it's all your paintings you know. And he'll tell anyone who walks in there. He loves that you paint Louis. He's proud of you now and he'll still be proud of you no matter what you choose to do"

They both felt silent then; Louis in deep thought and Teddy watching him curiously; Louis had never given the impression of caring about what anyone thought, least of Bill. He always projected the air of someone knowing more than the rest of them, of being wiser and more practical; the type of person you'd expect to know exactly what they wanted and just how they were going to get it.

"I'm going to open it" Louis said after a while.

Teddy bit back a smile and nodded.

He watched Louis gulp before slowly ripping open the envelope and pulling out the letter.

"_So…?"_ Teddy asked.

"I…I…uh…got in" he looked up at Teddy wide eyed before pushing the letter towards him; "here, you read it too. Just to make sure"

Teddy repressed a laugh and accepted the letter, scanning it with his own eyes; "_Dear Mr Weasley, we are pleased to inform you…" _

He grinned; "You did it Louis. You got on to the _greatest magical art course _in the world!"

Louis smiled back before biting his lip; "you really don't think he'll mind?"

"Nah. Your Dad's always wanted you guys to do what makes you happy. He was happy about Egypt because he thought you _wanted_ to become a curse breaker- that it was _your _dream. So he supported you. He'd never want you to do it, if you didn't want it. None of us would" Teddy clapped him on the back.

Louis took a deep breath before nodding; "You're right, I guess."

"'course I'm right, I'm Teddy Lupin- I'm _always_ right"

Louis managed a small smile; "Well, thanks Teddy. And not just for…y'know today but for… well, everything. I know we don't exactly talk a lot but you're always there -for all of us- me, Dom, Vic, we'd be lost without you, I reckon…so…yeah, thanks." Louis finished awkwardly and Teddy let out a chuckle.

"Well,_ I'd_ probably be lost without all of you" he ruffled Louis hair, smiling when the boy scowled and moved away. He may have already been seventeen but Teddy still saw the seven year old boy begging him to take him swimming. He chuckled quietly at the memory before for standing up and stretching; "C'mon we best go help with dinner before your sister accuses of being lazy sods."

Louis followed him, a smile on his face, the dark cloud of confusion and insecurity feeling light years away.

* * *

**I really hope you enjoyed this! I'm not sure I like this one all that much. I've never really had any head canon about Louis before so I struggled with writing this. In the end, I decided Louis is someone quite shy and an amazing painter. He mainly keeps to himself and likes to act as though he doesn't really care about anything but in reality is quite sensitive. He went through a stage of feeling jealous of Teddy who he sees as having more in common with Bill. He and Victoire have a complex relationship; they care a lot about each other but she doesn't really understand him. After this talk with Teddy, I see them both becoming closer and keeping in touch while Louis is in France and eventually this helps Victoire and him become closer again. Ok, that's enough of my head canon. Please review! Next up will be Roxanne and Teddy :D**


	4. Sorrow

**Characters: Teddy and Molly**

**Prompt: Sorrow**

Teddy rubbed the tiredness from his eyes and willed himself to stay awake. Exhaustion was pulling at him, making his whole body feel heavier and slower than usual. He wasn't surprised; he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent night's sleep.

Arthur Weasley was in hospital.

A lot of the Weasleys and Potters had been in hospital over the years; bouts of dragon pox, James getting hurt in a Quidditch match, Harry and Ron suffering from the side-effects of having the dangerous job of being Aurors. Teddy himself had been hurt on the job more than once. And then there had been the whole Albus fiasco. But this..._this was different_.

Because this time the Healers didn't seem to be trying to stay hopeful. They didn't say things like "you'll be out of here in no time". They didn't say "don't worry". Instead phrases such as "critical condition" were being thrown around. _Instead_, the family was being encouraged to be "prepared for the worst".

The odds were not in Arthur Weasleys favour.

Teddy's throat constricted at the thought. Arthur Weasley had always been a sort of grandfather to him. Kind and warm and never making him feel as though he didn't belong. _He's going to make it,_ he told himself, _he's going to make it through this_. _And everything will be back to normal. He'll be tinkering away in his shed in no time. He'll be telling us all about muggle contraptions and we'll shake our heads and laugh and…he'll be alright._

He ran a hand through his hair and stood up. He should probably get back, he realised, they'd be worrying; Harry and Ginny and Vic especially. He'd escaped from the crowd of Weasley family members in the private waiting room they'd been given (_didn't that in itself show the severity of the situation?)_ and into the corridor. It was cooler here, he could breathe and without the constant sight of tearful faces he could almost make himself believe the situation wasn't really all that bad.

He yawned again and stretched, feeling his muscles groan in protest.

_"Teddy?"_ the voice was quiet. Almost tentative.

Teddy turned and was met with the sight of Molly Weasley; short, brown haired and blue-eyed Molly Weasley.

_She_ certainly looked as though she'd been getting enough sleep. The thought angered him.

"You came" he said.

She looked up at him defiantly; "he's my grandfather"

"Figured that out have you?" Molly glared and Teddy turned to leave; he wasn't in the _mood_ to deal with the enigma that was Molly Weasley.

_"Wait!"_

Sighing, Teddy turned around; "_What?"_

"How..._how is he?" _she fiddled with her a bag as she spoke.

Teddy swallowed; "he's...he's in critical condition." He ran a hand threw his hand tiredly. "The healers took him in about an hour ago. They're going to try…try one last treatment and then…" he didn't want think about what would happen _then_ so he fell silent.

Molly nodded; "Did...did they say...what are odds of him making it?"

Teddy stared at Molly blankly; there was, they had been told, a less than five per cent chance of the treatment being successful but somehow saying that out loud, here, now, to Molly felt as though he was auguring Arthur even more bad luck.

"He'll make it" he found himself saying; "it doesn't matter what _they_ say, _he'll make it_"

Molly was staring at him strangely. He could guess what she was thinking. Molly Weasley had always been practical; she's probably weighing up the risks herself, Arthur being as old as he was, the severity of the condition. She doesn't think he's going to make it, he realised. The thought only served to make Teddy feel even more restless.

"Is everyone else...?"

"They're in the family waiting room"

"Oh" she looked down and suddenly Teddy felt a wave of pity.

"I'm going there in there now...y'know, if you want to come"

Molly's eyes widened. "Oh. Oh… no. I mean, that's fine. I'll be fine out here, I mean. I don't think they'd want…." She shook her head; "what I mean is…it's probably best if I wait out here" she gave him a small sad smile.

Teddy nodded slowly; in truth he _didn't know_ how Molly's arrival would be taken.

"Right well, I'm going to..." He pointed over his shoulder vaguely.

_"Can you stay_? I mean just, just for a minute. You can tell me more about what actually happened. I'm a Healer, I could maybe explain..."

"Victoire's a healer. She explained the procedure…"

Molly's face fell; "right. Right, of course." She nodded. "I'll just..." She made her way to over the chairs and sat down; "wait here, I guess"

Teddy sighed and cursing his conscience silently, sat on the seat opposite her, pointedly ignoring her look of surprise.

"So how...how is everyone doing? Mum? Dad? _Luce?"_

"You'd know if you actually bothered to stay in touch"

Molly paled.

"Shit. That was mean. I'm sorry. Really…I shouldn't have…" Teddy rubbed his eyes again; "I'm tired and I'm stressed and I took out on you. I'm sorry"

Molly nodded slowly.

"I do care" she said eventually.

Teddy looked up and she met his eyes pleadingly; "_I do._ I care about them all. I care about Mum and Dad and Luce and Grandma and…granddad" her voice broke; "I miss them_. So much._ And…_and _all the rest of you too- the whole family... I miss the teasing and the Sunday lunches and Uncle Ron's chess matches. _I miss it_" she looked at him desperately; "you believe me right? I know I'm a _completely_ horrible person. And I know you all hate me and are probably _much_ better off without me but I do care."

Her voice shook and she wiped the tears off her face impatiently before looking back to Teddy; "I...the first time I left it was because...I was _young_ and stupid and, and I thought I didn't belong and...I..._I was a coward_ so I ran...and then I came back a year later. And…I was ashamed" she shook her head; "Mum, dad- they forgave me. But…Luce…Lucy said some things and…it's not fair of me to make it seem like this is her fault. Because it isn't… it's all me…I know but what she said…it made me second guess everything and…" her voice caught again.

She was red faced and shaking and Teddy felt his heart sink.

He watched her for a moment before going to sit beside her. He had never been close to Molly Weasley; he couldn't really remember ever having a proper conversation with her. He put his arm around her slowly and she sobbed onto him, shaking and spluttering; trying to justify actions that had taken place years ago.

"We don't hate you. _Nobody_ in this family hates you Molly"

Molly shook her head and Teddy sighed tiredly; they had all forgiven her Teddy knew, even if they didn't want or_ like_ to admit it. The Weasleys were a stubborn bunch, after all.

"You were young and you were stupid and you made a mistake." She shifted from his arms and looked up at him, her face tear-stained and pale. "It was years ago Molly"

She'd been seventeen when she'd runaway leaving behind her family. No one had expected it. They'd been shocked and angry and hurt, not to mention worried. But she'd been a seventeen year old girl; confused and lonely.

"Exactly" she said wiping the tears from her face; "it was years ago, so why…why is it so hard to face everybody? Why do I_ dread_ coming back here? Why do I make excuses to do _anything_ but come back here?" she shook her head slowly; "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

Teddy smiled slightly; "You're human." He thought back to when Molly had returned a year later after leaving. She had been ashamed and they had all been hurt. It seemed back then, as though they accepted her return, made her feel welcome but…had they really?

"We all make mistakes" he said slowly; "when you came back…everyone, everyone was wrapped up in their own lives and…nobody…everybody was happy you were back but nobody wanted to be the first to come out and say "you're forgiven" or "I missed you"…" he shook his head; "we all skirted around the issue didn't we?" he looked at Molly curiously; "none of us bothered to talk to you about it. We talked about other things but not…_it._"

He paused, remembering the eighteen year old Molly Weasley.

"We were wrong" he said eventually. "but…so were you"

He looked at the pale shivering girl next to him, she was sitting now with her hands wrapped around her knees, her eyes clenched shut.

"I know"

"You should have given it time. You shouldn't have given up so quick and gone running." Teddy bit his lip thinking hard; "family is…_complicated_. Sometimes it gives us a sense of self-entitlement. But…that's _wrong._" Teddy paused, trying to find the right words; "I guess what I'm trying to say is…it's…it's a two way thing. Everybody has to put the effort in. It's easy to break the bonds. You found that out."

Molly snorted in agreement.

"But fixing it, fixing it takes time and it'll only work if we put the effort in. _All of us._"

Molly nodded slowly before clearing her throat; "You think…you think it's too late to put that effort in now?"

Teddy smiled; "it's never too late. But if you're going to do it, do it properly. No running away from the problem Molly"

Molly nodded again and took a deep breath; "Could…could you come with me…in there?" she nodded towards the waiting room.

Teddy raised an eyebrow; "You sure you're ready?"

Molly shrugged; "the sooner I start trying the better, right?"

"Right." he nodded; "let's go then" he smiled at her encouragingly before leading the way to the door leading to the rest of the Weasleys.

They would all gladly accept her back in to their fold he knew; it would difficult at first he supposed; maybe there would be one or two awkward dinners to get through and more than a few hard conversations, there'd be teasing from James and Fred he supposed…it would take time to build up the trust but… _it would come back._

* * *

**So this was a bit depressing and maybe a bit confusing so let me explain a little :) In my head canon, Molly Weasley runs away when she's seventeen. She's young and confused and doesn't feel like she belongs in her family. If you want to read more about **_**that **_**I wrote a one-shot of her leaving, a while back. It's the second chapter of "Life, or something like that" and can be found on my profile (shameless self-plugging there :P) you don't have to read it of course, but if you are interested it's there :) **

**Also… I see Molly returning a year later after running away to try and clear things up but everything is very complicated and Lucy says some things to her which makes her decide she's better off elsewhere (the next chapter will have a bit about that). Molly moves back to Germany and completes her Healer training. She keeps in contact with her parents and visits only for their anniversary each year. **

**Molly is twenty-two in this and Teddy is twenty-six.**

**(Oh and Arthur does make it out of this; he's weaker but otherwise back to normal)**

**Please review and let me know what you think :D**


	5. Mistake

**Characters: Teddy and Lucy**

**Prompt: Mistake**

Christmas had been blessed with a delightful helping of soft white snow that had made Teddy on Christmas Eve, after one two many cups of Firewhiskey, drunkenly toast British weather. By New Years Eve, however, he was cursing it.

The wind had come with a vengeance.

It howled and swept through the streets, shaking windows and scaring children.

It was this wind that Teddy fought against, the collar of his jacket turned upwards, as he tried to make his way up to the Burrow. He was just a couple of steps away from the inviting front door (which promised warmth, hot cocoa and _perhaps_, a kiss from Victoire) when it swung open; a girl (it was hard to see who with the dark skies and harsh wind) ran out and promptly collided into him. Teddy stumbled and quickly reached out a hand to stop her from falling; "_Lucy?"_

He had only just recognised her however before Lucy Weasley, her brown hair billowing around her, her face streaked with tears, pushed past him.

For a moment Teddy did nothing.

Lucy Weasley was not someone he could claim to know well. Hell, he could barely remember having a proper conversation with her. The wind bit into his cheeks. The front door to the Burrow looked inviting. Perhaps he should go call Percy or Audrey- they would be better prepared to deal with the situation, he thought. And perhaps, perhaps had he _not_ been Teddy Lupin he would have done exactly that. But he _was_ Teddy- the self-anointed counsellor of the Weasley teenagers and so, despite his better judgement, he turned around and made his way after Lucy.

"_LUCY!"_ The unforgiving wind made it hard for Teddy to even hear himself and so how _Lucy_ would hear him, he didn't know. Swearing, Teddy pulled out his wand- which felt strange in his icy numb fingers- and conjured a patronus. The silvery-white Wolf stood beside him allowing Teddy to better see his surroundings. "_LUCY!" _he called again. And _again. _His voice was hoarse and wearing thin when he finally spotted her.

"Lucy?" He frowned in concern and slowly made his way next to her. "_Luce?"_

She was huddled under a tree, her arms wrapped around herself and shaking desperately.

"It was a m-m-mistake." Her voice came out in shuddering breaths.

"C'mon Luce, how about we get back to the Burrow, _yeah?"_

"It was a mistake!" she turned to look at him, her eyes wide and red-rimmed; "I didn't mean it. I swear._ I didn't mean it!_" Her voice broke and her body shook unashamedly with tears.

Over the years Teddy had dealt with a broken-hearted Victoire, with a raging Rose, with a stubborn Dominique; he had controlled a hyper James and given advice to a moody Fred and comforted a crying Hugo but _never_ had been so terrified. Lucy's tears were not…well, _normal_. They were manic and heart-wrenching and for once Teddy was at lost as to what do; "Shh, it's ok. Whatever you did, it's ok. It'll be ok…" he said wincing; it sounded pathetic to even his ears.

But Lucy was shaking her head; "No_. No, it won't be alright_. It won't be ok. I…" the tears started again with renewed vigour; "I p-pp-pushed her away. I t-t-told her…I hate...h-h-hated her. I said we_ all_ did." She gulped loudly; "I said n-n-nobody missed her and n-n-nobody b-b-bothered looking for... for her and _really,_ we were all…all g-g-glad she left b-b-because…"

The light from Teddy's patronus bathed Lucy in a pearly glow; her clothes were wind-blown, her hair a mess of knots and her face wet with tears.

Teddy had never seen a more pitiful sight.

He was good at giving advice, he had been told (by Dominique nonetheless and she _never _complimented him, so he supposed it must be true) but somehow Teddy reckoned listening to advice or to words of comfort was not what Lucy wanted nor needed. Anything he said now would merely seep through unheard, any comfort would seem empty and any attempt to seem _understanding_ would merely seem patronising.

He bit his lip considering his options and then with a flick of his wand cast a warming charm on the both of them; it wouldn't stop them feeling the effects of the cruel wind entirely but it would at least offer some comfort. He then opened his bag, pulled out the Auror robes he had haphazardly pushed inside after work, and wrapped it around Lucy, who seemed neither to notice nor care about what he was doing. Great shuddering gasps were leaving her body as she tried desperately to explain herself (though whether to him or her own conscience he wasn't sure); "it was a m-m-mistake. _Just a mistake_." From what he gathered from her half-formed sentences Molly had left after their argument, whether to merely cool off or to do a another runaway job was anyone's guess but Teddy had a feeling it was the latter. Sighing, he adjusted himself so that he was more comfortable and wrapped an arm around the sobbing Lucy.

In the back of his mind, he was reminded of the fifteen year old version of himself raging at Harry and the world, he remembered tearing down the photos on the mantel piece and screaming about the injustice of life, he remembered the tears that had come after as he truly mourned his parents, and admitted (for the first time) that he was _angry_, angry at them for going, for choosing war over _him._

It hadn't been a pleasant sight.

He had expected Harry to lecture, to empathise and comfort. But he hadn't. Instead he had just been there; sat beside Teddy and allowed him to _get it all out_ and somehow, strangely…that had helped. He would do the same for Lucy he decided, it wasn't the same situation exactly, but he would sit here in the cold freezing wind, with stiff and cold fingers and numb cheeks for as long as she needed.

* * *

**Hello :) I hope you enjoyed this. I was honestly dreading doing this one because I couldn't think of how Lucy and Teddy would interact but surprisingly, I really enjoyed writing this! Teddy is younger in this one (22, Lucy is 15) than in Molly's and I hope that showed; I think with Molly he was much more comfortable in dealing with a crying Weasley. **

**Anyway, next up is Roxanne which I'm really looking forward to doing!**

**Reviews brighten up my otherwise boring days :D**


	6. Hope

**Characters: Fred and Teddy**

**Prompt: Hope**

Yawning widely Fred Weasley fell on to the couch. It was safe to say he was knackered, completely and utterly _knackered_. He rubbed his eyes and willed himself to stay awake- the last thing he needed was to be accused of falling asleep on babysitting duty. He looked down at the kids in front of him; seven year old Johnny was glaring at him (a result of being told off for pulling his sisters hair), four-year old Matt was pulling even more toys out from the cupboard, and two-year old Lizzie was sucking her thumb, tear stains still on her cheeks…

Fred shook his head and wondered for what felt like the millionth time that day, what had possessed him to volunteer to babysit. And then for what also felt like the millionth time that day, he was reminded of that failed proposal and Mel's words; _"You're not ready Freddy…you're too immature…too childish…too irresponsible…"._ The memory made Freddy sigh in resignation; maybe she was right, maybe he really wasn't ready but…he was twenty-six, _twenty-six_…if he wasn't ready now, _when would he be?_ Or would he never be ready? Would Mel never become Melanie_ Weasley_, would they never have children, would he never have a family just because he was_ too damn hopeless?_

"Ahh!" he ran a hand through a hair in frustration and then turned to see Johnny staring at him wide-eyed.

Freddy stuck his tongue out at him.

Johnny did not look impressed by this response so Fred turned to glance at his watch- it was twenty past seven- surely Teddy was supposed to be here by now?

He sighed again and was just about to send Teddy a patronus telling him to _get his bloody butt home_, when the front door swung open, revealing a yawning Teddy.

Johnny immediately rushed to his father; "_Dad!"_

"Hey buddy, had a good day?"

Johnny shook his head resolutely; "Uncle Freddy shouted at me!"

Teddy raised an eyebrow and looked at Fred who shrugged; "he was a brat. He pulled the little ones hair, locked Matty in the bathroom, pulled my hair, hid the nappies from me…."

"Johnny?" Teddy looked at his son sternly but Johnny merely gave a sheepish smile; "I was just having some_ fun_…"

Teddy shook his head and sighed; "go to your room. I'll deal with you later." Johnny glared at his father and Fred before sullenly leaving the room.

"The other two weren't as bad were they?" Teddy asked, flopping himself down next to Fred.

"Nah, well Lizzie had a bit of a crying fit earlier and the nappies" he shuddered dramatically; "but yeah, she was fine mostly. Matty…well, Matty just emptied most of your kitchen cupboards…"

Teddy chuckled slightly; "Yeah, does it everyday now the little munchkin. You didn't do too bad, y'know _considering_…"

_"Considering what?"_

"Considering…" started Teddy slowly; "that you've never…_y'know" _he shrugged slightly_;_ "dealt with anything like this…"

"Mel and I took th…"

"I mean_ alone_. To be honest I half expected the house to be thrashed by the time I got back"

Fred glared; "I'm not completely hopeless"

"Sure about that?" Teddy sniggered, waiting for the inevitable witty Freddy Weasley comeback. When it never came however he turned to look more fully at his wife's cousin. Fred sat with his head in his hands; a picture of total defeat.

"You ok, mate?" Teddy asked in concern; he knew that Fred-despite what he had everyone think-had a rather….complicated life.

Fred shook his head slowly before looking up; "I asked her to marry me."

_"Again?"_ Teddy asked wide-eyed.

"Again"

"And she said…?"

"No_…again_." Fred snorted and leant back into the couch; "apparently I'm too immature…I'm not _ready_ for marriage…I spend _too_ much time in the pub…"

"You do spend quite a lot of time at the Leaky" Teddy interrupted, an apologetic smile on his face.

Fred growled in frustration; "I know. _I know_. Ok. But I could _change_. And then there's the kids thing; _"You're not ready to be a father Fred""_ Fred snorted, mimicking his girlfriend's voice; "It's ridiculous…I mean were you ready for kids when you got married? No. No, of course you weren't. You bloody learnt with time. _What the hell does she expect from me?!"_

Teddy bit his lip before answering; "Maybe…maybe she wants you to… to figure out _yourself_ before you try to…delve into the whole marriage thing"

"What d'ya mean_ figure_ myself out? I'm not a bloody lost teenager Teddy"

"Well then, quit acting like one"

_"Excuse me?"_ Fred asked narrowing his eyes. The look would have perhaps, made most people wince, but Teddy had dealt with enough angry Weasley's throughout his life so he merely rolled his eyes.

"What? It's the truth. You say you _want_ to get married. Well, let me tell you this- marriage takes _a lot_ of commitment. So why should Mel marry _you_ when you can't even commit to a job? You always said you didn't want to work in the shop, then you leave Hogwarts and _what do you do?_ Work for the shop." Teddy shook his head; "And it was ok for a while; you put the effort in- you set up those stores in Cardiff- you did well, Freddy but then…you were miserable. _You still are_. You don't…you don't _love_ business….you don't_ love_ your job…but you're too damn scared to do anything about it. You want to move on with Mel, start the next phase in your lives but the truth is Fred…you can't do _that_, until you figure out your own life…"

Fred closed his eyes together tightly before turning to look back at Teddy; "But_ I don't know_ what I want. I mean, I know I love Mel, I know I want to marry her but I don't…the shop…_I'm hopeless aren't I_?" he sighed.

"Nah….just a bit confused."

Fred gave a shaky laugh; "what should I do?"

"Well, have a little hope for starters"

Fred raised an eyebrow; "Cheesy much?"

Teddy rolled his eyes; "I'm serious…_you're twenty-six Fred not fifty!_ You act as if your life is over, well, it's not. Don't want to be in the shop? Don't be. Figure out what you want and for Merlin's sake, _stop giving up_! Believe yourself for once- I am _sick_ of your moping!"

Fred grinned sheepishly; "I haven't been that bad have I?"

"You have no idea" Teddy shook his head; "So…is that the reason you so suddenly decided to babysit my kids? Try and prove to Mel something?"

"Yep" Freddy said smiling; "thought I'd go back home this evening and tell her of my _riveting_ experience with your extremely _delightful_ children and how they completely changed my outlook so she should just say yes, and bloody marry me now"

Teddy snickered; "Yeah…I'm sure t_hat_ would have worked"

_"Shut up"_

* * *

A/N; This is…_bleh_…lol, I had it completely planned out in my head and then when it came to writing it, it went in a completely different direction. Anyway, I hope you did enjoy it. Fred is twenty-six in this and Teddy is thirty-three and has three kids (Johnny, Matt and Lizzie) with Victoire.

Fred is complicated, I think he went into the shop business with his father because he felt it was expected of him and he always wanted to live up to his namesake but his dream is something else. He does eventually choose a different career path- which will probably be mentioned in a later chapter-and Mel (his girlfriend) does eventually say yes :D

Reviews would be great!


	7. Hiding

**Characters: Roxanne and Teddy**

**Prompt: Hiding**

Roxanne Weasley was on a mission. A mission of paramount importance to ensure her life..._ok, sanity_ was left intact. She tiptoed quietly across the Oakwood floors, paused and scrunched her eyes up in anticipation when she stepped on the particularly squeaky plank, and then after a quick glance at her surroundings, crouched and made her way under the table. Breathing a sigh of relief Roxanne quickly pulled the tablecloth lower down so as to better cover her. Satisfied, Roxanne smiled smugly to herself; _she had escaped_. She had not yet fully overcome her exhilaration of successfully completing her mission, however, when she heard a door open.

Roxanne froze.

She could hear the footsteps of whomever it was slowly edge forward. They were heavy and didn't hold the _click clack_ of her Aunt Fleurs' or Aunt Ginny's_ or_ her mother's heels. Victoire she knew was barefoot.

She bit her lip.

Curiosity and fear made a strange combination and led Roxanne to timidly lift the tablecloth an inch and then, when the pair of black shoe clad feet moved slightly, hurriedly drop it and shift back.

The kitchen was now silent save the sound of the voices seeping through from the other room.

Roxanne closed her eyes and put a hand to her pounding heart, willing it to calm down.

_"Roxy?" _

Roxanne lifted her head up in surprise, promptly bumped it, swore and then noticed none other than Teddy Lupin, holding up the tablecloth and staring at her in confusion.

"What are you doing...uh..._under here?"_

Roxanne glared; "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I live here." He chuckled slightly; "I just came to get an apple" he held it up to her.

Roxanne scowled at him, although a small, rational part of her told her _she _was the one being strange this time, not the happy-go-lucky Teddy Lupin.

_"Teddy? Is that you?"_ Victoire's voice drifted in from the hallway and Teddy turned slightly, his mouth open to respond when Roxanne acted. She jumped forward, placed a hand over his mouth and pulled him underneath the table.

Teddy pushed her hand off and raised an eyebrow_; "wha..?"_

"Shh!" She glared at him again. Teddy nodded, saluted, and made an action of zipping his mouth, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Roxanne rolled her eyes; since they had announced their wedding both Teddy and Victoire had been ridiculously happy. Nothing and she meant _nothing_ seemed to get them down. Rain was apparently _romantic_ to Vic. And Teddy who had been doing overtime to save up money _still _smiled every day.

Roxanne didn't understand it.

They had been dating for four or five years. She was sure Vic had stayed at Teddy's more than once. And she was sure they had y'know done..._it_ so she wasn't sure why exactly a piece of paper and a change of surname was something to get so bloody excited about.

"How'd you know I was here?" she asked scowling.

Teddy chuckled; "Auror remember" he said pointing to his nametag; "it's my job to notice…uh…suspicious activities"

"So what you thought there was a dark wizard hiding under your kitchen table?" Roxanne asked rolling her eyes.

"No actually I thought it was Robert" Robert was Victoire's and Teddy's cat, named so because well, Vic and Teddy were weird like that.

"You're strange"

"Says the girl hiding under a table"

"You're under here too"

"Because you pulled me here; I could have you for harassment y'know"

"Whatever"

"So want to tell me why you're under here?"

"I'm hiding"

"Yep, I kind of guessed_ that_…want to tell me_ what_ you're hiding from?"

"You're wife…or future wife actually and my mother and Aunty Fleur and Aunty Ginny and stupid, _stupid_ wedding planning"

Teddy winced; "They're at it again?"

"What? Don't like planning for the fairy tale day?" Roxanne scoffed.

"It's not that I don't like it…it's just…a bit…_much_"

Roxanne raised an eyebrow; "A bit much?"

Teddy sighed; "Ok, more than a _bit much._ To be honest, I don't really _give a damn _about the shade of beige used for the invites"

"I don't give a damn what you use for your _boutonnière"_

"_My what?"_

"Boutonnière…y'know the flower you wear on your buttonhole."

Teddy ran a hand through his hair; "Uhhhh…this is…"

"Stressful?"

"Stressful. Annoying. _Traumatic"_

Roxanne sniggered; "well better be prepared 'cause Aunt Fleur's going to be interrogating you about bridesmaids dresses"

Teddy paled; "why would she do that?"

"'cause Victoire may have mentioned you had a_ lot_ of ideas and really, _really_ wanted to be a key part in the process of choosing the dresses" Roxanne finished with a wide grin.

"_Why on earth would she do that?"_

"Revenge for you letting slip to her mum that she didn't really care about the whole big wedding thing….she had to listen to an hour lecture for that"

Teddy's skin became unnaturally white and Roxanne giggled.

"Can…can…I hide under here with you?"

"Nope"

"Why not?"

"Because I was here_ first_"

"Well, I'm here _now_"

"I was still here first"

"It's _my_ house"

"Give me the apple and you can stay"

"It's_ my_ apple"

"Pass the apple or go deal with crazy wedding planners"

"_You're evil you know that?"_

* * *

**A/N: I was really, really looking forward to writing this one- I actually began writing it last week before I realised Fred's prompt came first and I want to do them in order so this had to wait! I really enjoyed writing it and hope you enjoyed reading it :D**

**Roxanne is a bit of a tom boy and is sick of the wedding planning; even worse on the day this is set she is the only bridesmaid present and so feels the need to escape :p**

**Roxanne is sixteen in this (nearly seventeen) and Teddy is twenty-five. **

**Please review :) **


	8. Clear Skies

**Characters: Rose and Teddy**

**Prompt: Clear Skies**

"What do you think you're doing?"

Teddy winced at the voice; "Uh…y'know…" he shrugged in what he hoped was a completely non-guilty and unsuspicious manner; "just…_exploring_"

Rose Weasley raised an eyebrow; "On your _wedding_ day?"

Teddy-still not yet dressed for said wedding-ignored the question; "What are _you_ doing here?" he asked instead.

"On guard duty" Rose answered, folding her arms across her chest and looking remarkably like her mother in court.

"_Guard duty?"_

"Yep. You see behind me is a door" she spoke slowly as though to a child; "and (as you very well know) behind that door is your soon to be wife who _you_ are not allowed to see until noon….hence, _guard duty"_

Teddy bit his lip; "_Really? Vic's in there!"_ he pointed and did his best to feign surprise.

Rose Weasley did not fall for it.

"Don't play stupid Teddy Lupin" she looked at him sternly; "Yes Victoire is in there. And yes, I know you two planned to meet but _no,_ I am not going to allow that to happen"

"_How did you…"_

"I'm Rose Weasley. I know everything" she said, lifting up her chin.

When Teddy raised an eyebrow however, Rose sighed; "let's just say your fiancés' "subtle" attempts to get us all out of that room, weren't as…_subtle _as she thought." Rose bestowed Teddy with a half apologetic smile; "there's only an hour and a half left."

"Exactly! Seeing Vic just a bit earlier is not going to be…I don't know…_catastrophic!"_

Rose said nothing but instead moved to sit on the window ledge, silently appraising him.

"_Please Rosie!"_

"No"

"Why not?"

"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding"

"_You_ believe that?"

Offended, she glared; "Of course not"

Teddy rolled his eyes; "I'll hex you out the way."

"I know triple the amount of spells you knew at my age"

"I'm a qualified Auror"

"So?"

"_So?"_

"So?"

"_So…_I know hexes you've never even heard off!"

"_And?_ It's not like you'd use those against me….your little _Rosie Posie_" she gave him a mischievous smile; "You like to play fair Teddy Lupin; you'd never use an unfair advantage against _me_" she batted her eyes at him before bursting into laughter at the disappointed look on Teddy's face; "Aw Ted. There really isn't _that much_ longer to wait!"

Teddy sighed and sat beside her; "I don't get it" he said miserably; "You don't even believe in all this superstitious rubbish so why can't you just…_let me in?"_ He gave her his best puppy dog look but unlike with Victoire it didn't work.

"Because it'll ruin it" Rose said simply; "it's supposed to be…_magical"_ she smiled at him; "y'know when Vic's walks towards you….and it feels like you haven't seen her in _ages_ and there she is….and you'll be _completely_ blown away and then….you'll want her to speed up but… of course, she'll be walking that slow, careful pace…and the music'll be playing and..." she trailed off with a wistful smile on her face.

Teddy stared at her in shock for a moment before smirking; "_Who knew_…Rose Weasley, the closet romantic"

Rose blushed; "I'm not…it's just…"

"_Andy Wood?"_ Teddy asked- a teasing smile on his face.

"_What?_ Of course not! I mean…we….we're not even…_friends…_ forget anything else"

"Uh huh"

"_Shut up!_ This is entirely _your_ fault!"

Teddy gave another a burst of laughter; "And how did you work that out?"

Rose scowled at him; "this wedding." She shuddered; "it's too damn…._fairytale_ like. I mean Vic looks like she's a damn_ princess_. You won't stop grinning. _There you're at it again"_ she accused, eyes narrowing at him; "And…You're getting married in the garden behind a castle. _A French castle_. And, _and_ even the damn weather is absolutely _blooming_ perfect." She shook her head; "it's enough to make anyone have romantic thoughts" she paused; "it's sickening really"

Teddy clutched his stomach in laughter; "gosh you _really_ have it bad don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" she said turning to gaze out the window at the clear blue skies-_the weather really was perfect._

"Oh Rosie" Teddy smiled, ruffling her hair; "trust me it's not my_ wedding_ making you so…uh…romantic suddenly" he chuckled slightly; "give Wood a chance tonight ok? No need to be all…urm…defensive" he bit his lip thinking about how Rose had reacted the last time Andy Wood had asked her for a dance.

Rose said nothing so Teddy sighed and turned to face the window; _"I really am going to have the perfect wedding aren't I_?" he finally said smirking at the clear skies.

oOo

And it was perfect, thought Rose later that day as she stood watching her cousin and Teddy dance under the bright sky, arms around each other and laughing loudly.

She smiled at the sight of them and began making her way over to the drinks table when she suddenly felt a soft tap on her shoulder; "_Rose?"_

She breathed in deeply before turning; _don't mess this up Rose, don't mess this up._

Andy Wood stood in front of her, a nervous smile on his face; "You look amazing" he said and Rose blushed- _she wasn't used to this- being the blushing girl- she was the tomboy, making jokes and laughing too loudly…_

"Thanks, you uh…you look good too" she finally managed to get out.

They were silent for a moment before Andy spoke again; "Want to dance?" he asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Rose gulped- under normal circumstances she would have said no, not because she didn't _want_ to but because well, it was just the _easier_ option.

"Sure" She finally said.

Andy's eyes widened slightly in surprise and Rose couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Ten minutes later and she was laughing, her head thrown back, as she danced in Andy's Wood's arms. When she met Teddy's eyes he smirked and gave her a wink.

Rose rolled her eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Hope you liked this- I'm not really sure of how much I do- it didn't come out the way I planned at all! **

**In my headcannon, Rose and Teddy are really close, because she spent so much time at Harry's and Ginny's when she was young and of course, Teddy did too. Rose is tomboyish- she's very clever like Hermione but she also has a great sense of humour, she's defiant and stubborn but also very loyal and kind- like both her parents. **

**Reviews would be nice :D**


	9. Words

**Characters: Hugo and Teddy**

**Prompt: Words**

It was all words. Just words. That was all everyone gave him. They were _so sorry for his loss_. They would _be there if he needed them. _They _understood._

They came one after the other dressed in black and patted him on the back, or hugged him and passed on their condolences.

He hated it.

He didn't _want _to see any of them, didn't_ want_ to hear their empty words.

They said _they understood_ but they didn't, they really, _really_ didn't. Yes, they had been through loss. They had been to more funerals than he would ever. They had mourned friends and brothers and parents but…._they didn't understand._ Because those losses had been in other time, another era, they had been during war where death was yes, unwelcome but also not entirely unexpected.

None of them had lost someone the way he did; so completely and totally unexpectedly.

They were living in a time of peace. Mary hadn't been old or ill. He had no enemies lurking in the shadows.

It had been a _normal _day.

And then suddenly it wasn't so normal. And she was gone.

And there was no one to blame; no Healer who should have tried harder, no dark wizard or life-threatening illness. It had been an accident. That was it._ Just one accident_. And she was gone. And he was alone, surrounded by empty words.

He breathed in deeply and tried to rationalise the swirl of emotion within him.

He was Hugo Weasley; the quiet, philosophical one, the one they all came to for advice. He had read books and _books_ on death, read books on how death affected the survivors, read books about life, about _everything_ it seemed. But none of those words in any of those books meant anything now. He _didn't care_ what stage of grief he was in, or that everyone else was trying their best, he _didn't care_ that somewhere out there Mary would be waiting for him. He only cared that she wasn't here _now._

He ran a hand through his hair and willed himself to calm down, to be strong, to be alright_. C'mon Hugo,_ he told himself, _get up, get out of this rut…_

He stiffened when he felt someone sit next to him on the cold doorstep and waited for the expected words. They didn't come but Hugo made no effort to turn and see who it was beside him.

"The girls are in bed" the voice finally said; Teddy then. "Lily wanted to take them home with her but Vic said it'd be easier if they were home. They're already confused enough as it is."

Hugo felt a pang of guilt; the girls, his daughters, _he_ should have been the one putting them to bed, he should have been there…he should of done something…_anything_ for them.

"Rose should be here in the morning" For some inexplicable reason, the mention of his sister made rage bubble within Hugo. She should have been here. _She should have been here_. He knew rationally that Rose was on a work visit, that there was no way she could have known two days ago flying out to Australia that she'd miss her sister-in-laws funeral. It was not her fault. Not at all. But the defiant grieving part within him-that wanted desperately to blame someone for everything-was cursing her.

A cold wind blew over them and Hugo heard Teddy shift; "It's ok y'know…"

Hugo felt the monster of anger swell even further at the word "ok" and gritted his teeth to stop the torrent of words that had been waiting to be unleashed all day.

"It's ok to be angry, to grieve. You can cry. You can rage. You can break every damn thing near you. You don't have to…act…act like everything is ok, when it isn't." He cleared his throat; "No one's going to _judge_ you Hugo. You don't have to act all strong. You _need_ to grieve. No one's expecting you to be ok." Teddy's voice was soft, quiet, understanding.

Hugo swallowed the lump in his throat.

Deep down he knew Teddy's words were true; he was allowed to grieve. He needed to cry, to let it all out. But knowing you should do something and being able to were two very different things. And the rage within him mixed with more confusion and hurt than he'd ever felt before made logical, sound reasoning impossible to listen to. Hugo didn't_ want_ to be understood. And he certainly didn't want advice. Not even from Teddy Lupin.

So he stayed silent and continued to glare out at the night sky, cursing Mary for not being careful enough, cursing fate for being so cruel and cursing himself for not being strong enough.

They stayed like that for a while, Hugo lost to the world and Teddy silently sitting beside him. After a while Teddy sighed and Hugo heard him stand to leave.

"Take all the time you need Hughie- we're all here, y'know, whether you think you need us or not…we'll always be here for you"

It was only after the front door had slammed shut again that Hugo moved, putting his head into hands and trying desperately to make sense of the whirl of emotions within him; separate hurt from anger, confusion from pain, sorrow from guilt. He closed his eyes, willing himself to forget, forget it all; forget yesterday when he'd got the owl, forget the hospital, forget the funeral…_forget he'd lost her_. But his mind-the thing he had always called his greatest asset -betrayed him and played the images over and over and _over._

Strangely, now that Teddy had left, Hugo wished he would have stayed-just the way he had during his childhood nightmares-to chase the demons of his mind away. "_We're all here y'know"_ Teddy had said. It was true Hugo knew, they were all there, he could hear their voices filtering through the open window- his aunts and uncles and cousins- they were all there. And they would_ always_ be there… just the way they had all been there for Al and Molly and Lily…they would be there for him. But that didn't mean he was ready to face them; there was too much bitterness and grief within him to be able to see the worry in their eyes as true concern and not selfish pity but…_ it would come._ One day, maybe not tomorrow, and maybe not in the next week, but _one day_ he would be ready to accept their help and love and warmth again. "_We'll always be here"_ Teddy had said and Hugo even in his depth of grief and anger, believed him.

* * *

**A/N: This one was a bit different. Hugo's wife, Mary, dies during a Charms experiment gone wrong, leaving him a single parent to three daughters. It takes a while for him to rebuild his life but he manages to do so with the support of his family. I really hope you enjoyed this, because I really enjoyed writing it! **

**Please review and let me know what you think :)**


	10. Trouble

**James and Teddy**

**Prompt: Trouble**

Trouble. That was the word that had come to Harry's mind most often when he thought of Teddy or James. _Trouble._

_When Teddy was three a bout of accidental magic had made a can of paint explode over Harry's newly decorated office._

_When James was six he had found complete joy in throwing mud at his younger brother. _

_When Teddy was ten he had decided it would be a good idea to befriend some older, not-so-good lads; cycling behind them he would watch them smoke and laugh and act the epitome of cool…_

_When James was eight he had thought it'd be a good idea to leave the Leaky Cauldron and make his way around Muggle London by himself. _

_And when Teddy was fifteen Harry remembered receiving a dozen letters detailing his hexing in corridors and out of curfew escapades. _

_At eleven James had convinced Lily she was a squib and at twelve he threw a quaffle in the house and shattereD his bedroom window._

_Teddy at seventeen found himself and Victoire in a muggle cell after a night out. _

_James at fifteen came home ridiculously drunk._

_During Teddy's first week as a trainee auror he had inadvertently insulted his superior._

_James meanwhile received a T in History of Magic…._

Harry chuckled at the memories; both Teddy and James had had their own unique brand of trouble, with Harry having to clean up both of their messes. It was ridiculous to think that after all _he_ had done, Teddy had still frequently accused James of being _too immature_ and that for all the trouble that Teddy had got in, James had still managed to retaliate with_; "you're just a goody-two shoes bore"._

It had been a long time-years and years-however, since Harry had had to think of _trouble_ in relation to James or Teddy. They were both fathers themselves now; aging and feeling the stresses of fatherhood by the sounds of it.

"Bloody hell those kids are making me old before my time!"

"Tell me about it" James was grumbling; "Y'know Suzie has had nine detentions already this term…nine…in _three months!_ And Danny…Merlin that boy is a brat…"

Teddy snorted in agreement; "Yeah but well at least Suzies not y'know….dating yet" he shuddered; "Lizzie dear thinks I'll be totally fine with her spending the whole bloody day with that Thomas kid…came home past midnight on Saturday…"

James shook his head in sympathy and Teddy continued; "Oh and I suppose y'know already about Matt? Failed Charms and now decides he wants to drop out…_as if_ I'm going to let that happen"

"Merlin, we weren't that much trouble were we?"

"_Us?_ Nah" Teddy waved the thought away; "we were _saints_ compared to that lot"

Harry sitting on the charm chair beside them and listening intently coughed loudly to hide the chuckles threatening to come out.

"Alright there, dad?"

"What…? Oh yeah, yeah…_splendid_"

What goes around, really _does_ come around, he thought with a smirk.

* * *

A/N; Finally found time to get some writing done! It's short but hopefully you enjoyed it. I honestly enjoyed writing this one, especially since it was so light hearted. I loved thinking of the trouble the two of them could have caused Harry!

Review please :D


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